It can be tough to stop smoking. As well as a positive and focused intent, many people need a little help from outside sources. Nicotine replacement therapy is popular, as are books such as Allen Carr’s Easy Way to Stop Smoking. But there are also lots of other natural methods you can use to ease your addiction. Here are a few of them.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture can help alleviate many symptoms of nicotine withdrawal, such as the jitters, restlessness and irritability. Needles are used to stimulate energy meridians in the body that lead to the heart and respiratory system, as well as to parts of the brain responsible for cravings.

You undergo an initial evaluation with a therapist to determine your unique smoking habits – when you smoke, how often you smoke, and what triggers your desire to smoke. The therapist will then put together a treatment plan for you, which may involve behavioral management training as well as the acupuncture itself.

Photo by ~ggvic~

Therapists normally recommend four to five treatments to get the full effect, and at $40 to $100 per session, acupuncture is one of the more costly natural methods. But they will also show you how to self-treat with acupressure for when cravings arise.

Herbal Medicines, Homeopathy and Flower Essences

Some herbal medicines have properties which can help alleviate physical and emotional distress. Many can be ingested as pills, in teas or in tinctures, and you can buy pre-packaged homeopathic kits which often use a combination of herbs and plants. These are some you could try:

Chamomile, lavender, skullcap, or kava – All combat stress and anxiety.

St John’s Wort – Helps battle chemical addiction by boosting dopamine and norepinephrine levels in your brain, both of which are produced when you smoke.

Lobelia – Potent muscle relaxant that binds to nicotine receptors in your brain, tricking your body into thinking you’ve smoked. Caution: highly toxic if taken at the wrong dose, so make sure you know what you are doing.

Bach Flower Essences – It’s controversial as to whether they really work, but some practitioners claim they help treat psychological and emotional issues. Honeysuckle and Star of Bethlehem are said to be good for smokers trying to kick the habit.

Photo by Smoob

Aromatherapy – combine essential oils such as chamomile, lavender and sandalwood in a carrier oil like jojoba to make an anti-stress massage oil.

Or carry a bottle of lavender oil around with you and take a sniff to reduce the anxiety brought on by nicotine withdrawal. (Note that most essential oils should not be sniffed directly.)

Remember to research each plant you are thinking of using, and follow all directions on the labels. If taken improperly, herbal medicines can be dangerous.

Hypnotherapy

The mental health community claims hypnotherapy can be a powerful way to release negative thought patterns, get to the bottom of emotional triggers, and explore repressed areas of our consciousness.

Hypnotherapy works through a combination of guided meditation, visualization, relaxing music and deep breathing, which lull you into a trance state. Once there, the therapist will make suggestions and affirmations that deeply resonate in your subconscious.

In the case of smoking, the therapist will remind you of all the benefits of quitting (rather than what you’ll be missing out on), such as asking you to envision how much more freely you will breathe without cigarettes. This helps you associate that positive feeling with quitting smoking.

Creative Visualization

Practice a version of self-hypnosis by inducing a relaxed state on your own. Use a combination of whichever relaxation techniques work best for you. Then try to visualize yourself as a non-smoker in any situation you choose.

Photo by creativedc

Use your intuition, and don’t think of it as a hypothetical situation. Hypnosis works by taking you to that state now, not at some future date. Try to imagine the colors, smells, emotions and other sensations you will experience as a non-smoker. Use positive affirmations and keep them in a journal.

Detoxifying

Flushing the nicotine out of your system can help ease your physical addiction. Buy detoxifying roots, plants and herbs – like dandelion root, mullein, and rosemary – at your local natural foods store. Also stock up on Vitamins C and B-Complex, and drink plenty of water.

You can complement this with activities such as yoga and pranayama (breathwork). Visualize a white ball of light filling your body as you breathe in, then breathe out and visualize everything negative and toxic – in whatever form it arises – leaving your body.

The Quit Smoking Combo

Rather than relying on just one of the above techniques, try combining two or more of them to give you more chance of success. Homeopathy, acupuncture or creative visualization alone may not do the trick, but a combination of all three together could work provided you are in the right frame of mind.

Good luck!

Community Connection

Have you tried to quit smoking (or any addiction) by natural methods? Were you successful? Share your stories in the comments below!

Photo by empracht.

Farmers’ markets today can present quite a challenge to conscientious shoppers. There are so many different labels used to describe produce and meat – local, sustainable, free range, cage-free and so on – that the process of shopping can become rather daunting.

This no-nonsense food label dictionary will help you work out what it is you’re really buying.

Cage-free

This is an unregulated claim. It generally means the hens who laid the eggs were allowed to live outside of cages, as opposed to conventionally raised chickens that are stuffed into high-density cages (and probably fed animal protein).

Cage-free birds don’t necessarily have access to the outdoors, though. It’s best to ask the farmer how he or she raised the birds.

Certified organic

A farm must be chemical-free for three years, meaning no synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, or chemical herbicides can be used. Organic meat, eggs, and dairy products must come from livestock that have not received antibiotics or growth hormones, and were given only organic feed.

Photo by anemoneprojectors.

The farm has to pay for the organic label. Most certifications in the US are handed out by the USDA, and any other certifying bodies must be approved by them.

Farm-raised

Fish or other seafood deliberately grown, rather than caught wild. Many environmentalists object to farm-raised seafood because the farms often have the same environmental impacts as other industrial farms. They may use antibiotics or other chemicals, and can cause water pollution.

It’s generally better to buy seafood that has been caught wild and comes from a well-managed source that isn’t over-fished.

Free range

This can apply to meat, dairy, or eggs. The USDA only regulates this claim for chickens and eggs, and it means the birds were allowed access to the outdoors. Whether they were actually outside, or for how long, is not regulated. When in doubt, ask the farmer how things are done. Free range livestock generally roam freely outdoors.

Grass-fed

Grass-fed cattle eat what cattle have evolved to eat: grass. They are allowed to graze naturally, and the meat can be up to six times higher in healthy omega-3 fatty acids than conventionally raised beef.

Grain-fed or conventionally raised cattle are forced to eat corn, and probably animal waste products too. Because cattle haven’t evolved to eat this way, they are plied with antibiotics to keep them from getting sick. These antibiotics end up in the manure, are transferred to water sources and can then enter the entire food chain.

Grass-finished

Can mean one of two things: that the cattle were fed grass their entire lives, or that they were fed grain until they approached slaughter, at which point they were switched to grass. To find out which it is, you’ll need to ask the farmer.

Photo by Ed Yourdon.

Heirloom

These plants have never been hybridized (bred for specific qualities) by humans, a process that reduces biodiversity and results in fewer varieties of produce on the market. Heirloom plants are often considered to be varieties grown during earlier periods of human history. They are sometimes bizarre colors and shapes, like purple cauliflower or blue potatoes.

Heritage

This is the animal version of heirloom. Heritage breeds have been pushed out of the food chain in favor of the few livestock breeds that do well in industrial agriculture. Heritage breeds are often centuries old. Farming them helps promote biodiversity, and their meat can be healthier and more flavorsome.

Local

Usually defined as food grown within a one hundred mile radius. Advantages of buying local are that the food is fresh, its environmental impact is less, and you are most likely supporting a small farm and making an investment in the community you live in.

Natural or All natural

These labels are unregulated and have no agreed-upon meaning! Be sure to ask or do some research to find out more.

Organically grown

Some small farmers can’t afford to pay for the organic label, but they subscribe to the same – or stricter – organic practices and so use this term instead.

Photo by Chris Runoff.

Pastured

Pastured livestock and poultry are raised outside in fields and allowed to eat a natural diet. Meat, dairy, and eggs from pastured animals generally have higher levels of nutrients.

Sustainable

Some farmers have opted out of the certified organic label, recognizing that it is increasingly meaningless as big farms figure out ways to meet the bare minimum for certification.

They’ve chosen instead to practice what was really at the heart of the organic movement when it first started: farming practices that minimize impact, forgo the use of chemicals, and embrace a more holistic approach to growing food that recognizes biodiversity and animal ethics. For specifics, ask the farmer.

Transitional organic

A farm currently practicing organic farming that hasn’t reached the three year mark needed to become certified.

The most important piece of advice

Whenever you are in doubt about what a label means or exactly how some food was produced, just ask the farmer. That’s the beauty of a farmers’ market: you should be able to get reliable information right from the source.

To find a farmers’ market near you, visit Local Harvest.

For more information on these topics, check out The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan, and To Buy or Not to Buy Organic by Cindy Burke.

COMMUNITY CONNECTION

Any other food labels you are still confused about? Ask Megan in the comments below.

If you enjoyed this article, you might also like Going Organic: 6 Reasons Why You Should (Or Shouldn’t) and A Matador Guide to Joining Your Local CSA.

It’s art. At the Royal College of Art’s graduate show in London, students showed off their creations, including an acoustic botanical garden and a “disc with legs” to keep electronics away from water.

Hiromi Ozaki, however, developed the “Menstruation Machine”: a suit for men which releases blood stored in its reservoir over the course of a menstruation cycle, usually lasting about 5 days. It also has lower abdomen stimulating electrodes to mimic painful cramps.

On a compassionate level, this is kind of cool. If you’ve never experienced the dreaded Cycle of Pain that comes with a monthly period, perhaps this will help people get a better understanding of why it’s impossible to function at work when you’re in a cold sweat willing yourself to die. I have friends who compare their period pains to those of labor contractions. That stuff is real.

On the other hand, what the hell? Why would you put yourself through torture? Can you use a tampon with it? What kind of woman makes her loved ones experience such trauma? Is this the ultimate test to determine whether or not your boyfriend is fit for marriage?

Also, where does the blood come from? Can you increase the flow? Why does this exist?

Yes, I did just dedicate a whole post to menstruation. Have a great weekend.

Community Connection

Men, do you fancy yourself a round of the Menstruation Machine? Women, would you giggle with glee? Share your thoughts.

Photo by m00by/Feature Photo by szlea

It starts at birth when immediately you’re taken and tested with Apgar scores. Are you pink enough? Do you cry enough? Make enough faces?

It’s easy to understand why Apgar scores are important, though. They let us know quickly and easily whether or not a newborn needs immediate medical attention, but what about the other measures of our lives?

Here’s the rundown. Deep breath please….

Facebook friends. Linked In connections. Twitter followers. Pants size. Bra size. How much does your baby weigh? How many miles do you run? How often and how fast? Marital status. How many children do you have? How many countries visited. Languages spoken. Borders crossed. How many times have you been to Burning Man?

We have measurements to decide whether our children are gifted enough to start first grade on the accelerated track and No Child Left Behind tests to show if a student reads and writes well enough to pass to the next grade.

Photo by Tambako the Jaguar

Those tests in turn help us determine whether our teachers are teaching well enough for our children to pass those tests. Don’t forget SATs, A-levels, O-levels, APs, and whatever your home country equivalent would be.

Once you pass all those tests with high scores, you’re then free to move to the next level.

In college and university, the yardstick arrives in the form of cum laude, class rank and don’t forget the extra points for where you get your degree. Honor societies, sororities, academic clubs and sports teams. All that helps others decide whether or not someone should hire you, when it will then be decided how much money you’ll make for salary.

From there, these logically follow:

How much do you have in the bank? Credit rating. How many days vacation and where do you go. How many square feet in your house or apartment. What kind of car do you drive? How posh is your neighborhood? Depending on your profession and how many years you’ve been in the field, other tests quickly follow. Tests and more tests rank you on a scale of how good a lawyer, doctor, accountant — or really anything else — you are. And if you’re a blogger, you simple cannot forget Alexa ranking, Linked In connections, Google Page Rank, website stats and RSS subscribers.

Once we know exactly how much you make, where you live and what you drive, it’s far easier to find where you fit socially. Are you married or single? How many sexual partners have you had? Do you have orgasms one at a time or multiple and how big is your penis? How often do you have sex? How often do you date and where do you take your dates. What brands of clothing do you wear? What size clothing?

What is wealth without health?

We measure what we eat by calories and weight which help us maintain our hips, chests and clothing size. And just when you thought your food was safe once inside your body, here comes Rate My Poo to tell you how your shit compares to others. There’s even a Top 10.

There’s eyesight, hearing, height, weight, cholesterol, blood sugar levels and blood pressure. How long does it take to get pregnant? What is your sperm count? How many children do you have? What month did your child learn to sit up, crawl, walk and speak? How many hours in labor? Which then leads right back to where we began with Apgar scores.

Photo by woodleywonderworks

Then, when you find yourself listless and confused from all the prodding, poking, pulling and testing, someone comes along to quantify your happiness and self esteem.

Anyone else ready to have a nervous breakdown?

While these scales do provide us important information, at what point do we stop living our lives by numbers? Numbers that ultimately have the potential to damage our internal self esteem when we find others simply don’t respect us enough because we don’t rate highly enough.

What happens if the playing field changes? Let’s say you’ve done supremely well in high school, aced your college qualifying exams and then suddenly your family moves to another country where those scores mean nothing. Or you’re the perfect size 6 in clothing and somehow find yourself in a place where a larger, plumper body type is preferred?

What does that say about you? What does that say about our system?

COMMUNITY CONNECTION

What would happen were we to suddenly get rid of all these personal and professional measurements? Are some of them necessary to ensure our happiness and well being? Share your thoughts below.

Photo by smith

Organic food grows without artificial chemicals. So no toxic pesticides or herbicides accumulate in your body; no nasty fertilizers contaminate your water supplies; no dodgy growth hormones pollute your meat. Organic means purer than a virgin in a chaste white dress made of snowflakes. Better for you, and better for the environment. Right?

Maybe, maybe not.

Here are six common organic claims to ponder when trying to decide if you want to turn your eating habits toward the organic.

1. There is a clear definition of “organic.”

Although there is a broad consensus, each country has its own certifying body, with different requirements for what can and can’t be labelled “organic”. Some of these organizations are run by government, and others by private sector companies or NGO’s. In some countries they are regulated by law, and in others they aren’t.

Countries such as the UK have more than one certifying body, which – providing they meet a certain base level – can each work to different standards. It’s a proper organic gong show.

And spinning off this are all sorts of clever, manipulative marketing terms that aren’t necessarily regulated at all. You can buy “natural” oats, or “home-grown” spinach. Thanks, but I’d rather my spinach were grown in a field. And what the hell does an unnatural oat look like? Perhaps we are talking supernatural oats, the ghosts of porridge past.

2. “Organic” means entirely organic

Photo by Pink Sherbet Photography

Not quite. In the UK and the USA, for example, “organic” means 95% of the ingredients in the food are organic. And in the USA, “made with organic ingredients” means as little as 70% of the ingredients are organic. The remainder can be all sorts of synthetic crap, such as food dyes, starches and gelatin.

The idea that no artificial chemicals are used during production is also misleading. The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) is about as transparent on this as a bucket of prime manure: its definition of organic farming refers merely to the “restricted use of artificial fertilizers and pesticides.” Oh. Kay.

3. Buying organic supports small farms

Maybe this was true 30 years ago, when you bought your fruit and veg off your local farmer, and he assured you the carrots were so knobbly “Coz they’z all bein’ organic.” No need for any certification back in the good old days.

But now organic food has gone mainstream. It’s regulated. There’s permits and paperwork and payments gone in to those pesticide-free potatoes. Not all small farms can afford this.

And you are just as likely to find organic produce in supermarkets as in farmers’ markets. Perhaps more so. Which means organic food is big business, and a large demand needs a large supply.

Lots of organic brands are owned by those corporations we love to hate, such as Coca-Cola, Nestle and ConAgra. Check out these cool – and scary – infographics on the structure of the organic food industry in North America.

4. Organic food is expensive

It’s true, organic food is generally more expensive than conventional stuff. Sometimes crazily so. That bunch of organic grapes may well taste sweet and juicy, and might even be healthier for me. At that price the pips should be semi-precious stones, and the grapes should come with a free servant trained in the ancient art of palm frond fanning.

Such disparity may well not be the case for long. Modern farming techniques are super-dependent on oil, which is used to produce the fertilizers and other chemicals needed. As the cost of oil rises, conventionally produced food should become more expensive. Organic farming will have to deal with increased transport costs, but that’s it.

Furthermore, the ever rising demand for organic food should, in theory, lead to a decrease in prices. Here’s hoping, anyway.

5. Organic farming can’t feed the world

As I write this, I can already hear the gnashing of genetically modified teeth, and taste the insecticide that will be used to put me out of my misery.

Photo by sarniebill1

Many people claim that organic farming is too inefficient to meet the needs of the world’s growing population. That food production must double by 2050, and the only way forward is to bung a load more chemicals at a load more GM franken-crops.

But organizations like the Soil Association disagree with this, claiming there are a number of faulty assumptions. One is that we need to feed the world using our unhealthy, Western style, meat-rich diet.

They reckon that “fairer diets and better distribution of food” is more important than increased production, and that organic farming is perfectly capable of providing for us all, as long as we radically overhaul our relationship with food.

And according to Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma, if we increased the average agriculture yield across the planet to the level that’s possible using organic farming techniques, we’d be producing around 50% more food anyway.

6. Organic automatically equals good

This is sloppy thinking. Granted, organic farming releases less nastiness into the environment, and promotes biodiversity. Granted, organic food contains fewer toxic chemical residues, and so is probably healthier to eat. Hell, it might even be richer in nutrients, but we’ll let the scientists fight that one out.

But there are a whole host of other factors to take into account, not least all those resources consumed during food production, packaging and distribution. Transporting organic food half way round the world, into another climate and season, seems to defeat the purpose. It’s far more important to eat local, seasonal food.

And if it’s true that “you are what you eat”, I’d rather eat the locally grown Egyptian mango – however it was grown – than the organic one shipped in from abroad.

COMMUNITY CONNECTION

What do you think about organic food? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Photo by skippyjon

We turn on the TV, and there’s a new diet regime. Some movie star is strutting around in a bikini for Jenny Craig. Pie charts and bar graphs show us that heart disease is the deadliest killer in the USA. Is any of this getting through?

Some people, like Britain’s Jamie Oliver, feel a revolution is needed now. Food Revolution is his reality show, and it takes place in Huntington, West Virginia where obesity runs rampant. The approach is simple: expose the truth, shock people and educate the masses.

Changing how we see food

Jamie points out that people have been manipulated by media hype such as colorful ads from both fast food restaurants and food packaging companies. Food is a vital part of our lives, for more reasons than the obvious. We use food to entertain guests, to discuss business matters outside the office, and simply for indulgence and pleasure. It’s also a beloved part of travel. These social habits quickly become a part of our daily routine and a source of comfort.

But when we start enjoying food in excess, it becomes a problem. Like Donna Simpson, a controversial woman whose sole ambition is to become the fattest woman in the world. Seriously, that’s her ambition. People actually pay money to watch her eat.

Food should be a part of your life, but not your whole life. Work with it. Meals don’t have to take a long time, anyone can cook, and fast food is not as cheap as you think it is.

So how do we start the process of change?

Photo by jonfeinstein

Food education starts with our kids

Jamie’s biggest winning point is education, beginning with kids. In his TED talk, Jamie stuns the audience by showing clips of him asking young children to name the vegetable he’s holding. One guesses that tomatoes are potatoes, and another has no idea what cauliflower is.

He stresses the fact that kids cannot possibly make healthy choices when they have absolutely no idea what good food is. We learn everything in school except nutrition and how to cook healthy meals. Why?

Later, Jamie meets with the school cooks to discuss the food being prepared for the kids. The cooks get defensive, insisting they just do as they’re told, but are unable to really identity any of the ingredients used in their meals. He also sits down with parents who feed their children a constant flow of junk food, emphasizing that for the first time in history, children will live for a shorter amount of time than their parents. Ten years.

If we’re leading this kind of example for our kids, what else can we expect?

Shock value, as proven by Eric Schlosser’s Fast Food Nation, is another educational tactic. During his TED talk, Jamie unloads a wheelbarrow filled with sugar cubes: the amount a child consumes in one year just from drinking flavored milk. We’re used to thinking milk is a wonderful thing, but just because it says “milk” doesn’t necessarily mean its healthy.

Making healthy decisions about food is the answer

Absorbing this knowledge is fine, but then you have to do something about it.

The best part about Jamie Oliver’s ambition is that as a professional chef, he’s able to offer real advice and recipes for a healthier lifestyle. He provides interaction for even viewers at home. All you have to do is log onto the ABC website and track down whatever dish tickles your fancy. How about a broccoli and squash medley, or some chicken chow mein?

That being said, a simple Google search for “healthy food recipes” returns enough results to keep yourself busy for weeks to come. Bon appetit.

Community Connection

What do you think? Are our food choices really as bad as we think, and can we start a revolution?

Photo by alancleaver_2000

I was never one of those kids who could eat whatever they wanted. I started watching my weight around the age of 10. The pressure to keep focus on weight and scrutinize every pound and body part amplified when I started dancing.

It’s not that I was big — not yet — I just wasn’t the skinny dancer type everyone expected to see in class. Nothing plagued me more than the thought of gaining a pound and having it announced to everyone at the monthly weigh-ins.

Eventually, my desire to remain thin enough for everyone else escalated into unhealthy habits. I became bulimic. I’ll spare you the particulars of that time in my life, but I will say things got out of hand. Thankfully, I decided to seek help when one of my friends found out and told my father. He sat down with me to discuss the health issues, and it was the first time I ever saw him cry. I sought counseling immediately.

As I was trying to end the eating disorder, I entered college as a dance major, which meant more time in front of mirrors. I realized if I truly wanted to quit the destructive eating and self critical thinking, I would have to stop spending so much time examining my body. The amazing friends I made in college helped me through this transition.

 
Then I Turned It All Around, Completely

I quit dance. I quit exercising altogether. I started eating, and I kept it all down. Good for me!  I learned to enjoy life without worrying about food and exercise, but I drank a lot and ate horribly.

You know what? I had a blast. I was happy even though I knew I was gaining weight at a rapid pace. I found new passions and met people who liked me the person under the body.

Now, though, I see I only switched one destructive behavior for another. Still, I have no regrets. I don’t think that I’d be where I am now without going through that stage. I grew more confident in myself, and trusted others more because I felt that people liked me for more than just my looks. I learned to rely on my personality and grew in character. I wasn’t a shallow person before, but if there was anything I was shallow about, being bigger cured me of it! I’m a better person for it.

For six years, I avoided doctors and scales, and when i finally stepped on the scale to find I weighed 250 pounds. I was in shock to learn things were that bad.
 

Photo by Carissa McAtee.

The Reality Show

While working as an intern for a local online newspaper, I learned that a very popular weight loss reality show was holding auditions near my office. It started as a joke, but eventually with some encouragement from friends, it seemed this show could be a good opportunity for me.
 
I didn’t know what to expect from that first audition. About a thousand applicants waited in line along with me for almost three hours before the first round of interviews. When my group was finally called, we were asked to sit in a circle. The other potential contestants were loud, overbearing. Everyone was fighting for attention. I was so overwhelmed, I just sat back and waited to be asked a question directly.

A few weeks later, I received a call that the directors were interested.

Why I Was Not Quite Right For Them

I sent my tape in and waited a month before getting a call for a second interview. They asked me to tell my story.  I tried my best to be all weepy and emotional as they wanted me to be about my weight, but I was never able to be quite as unhappy as they seemed to want. I’ve wasn’t unhappy, regardless of my size and didn’t want to pretend otherwise.

The audition process continued, and eventually I was sent to LA for a week, which wasn’t nearly as exciting as one might think. I wasn’t allowed to talk to any other contestant. I couldn’t leave the hotel without being babysat by a production assistant for fear I might learn details of the show I wasn’t supposed to know.

At the last minute, the show decided to go with another contestant. I was disappointed, but the producers encouraged me to go through the process again the following year. And I actually did. At the end of the process a year later, they finally told me my story wasn’t right because I had had an eating disorder. Their reasoning was vague, but I ultimately gave me the impression that viewers might think I was “cheating” to lose weight by purging.

Even though I never became a contestant, I owe the majority of my weight loss to the show.  After the last audition process, I realized I was waiting around for someone else to fix my problems. If those people could change their lives and lose weight while on TV, I would do it too.

I Did It For Myself

It wasn’t easy. It still isn’t.

I’ve lost over a hundred pounds, but  there are still times when I don’t recognize myself in the mirror.  I’ve been at both extremes of the scale and sometimes forget where I am. I hate hearing others make fun of fat people because, while my body is not longer large, in my head, I am in many ways still that person.

I’m not sure I will ever be done with this journey.  

Community Connection

Eating disorders are still very much misunderstood. To learn more or to find help for yourself or a loved one, check out the National Eating Disorder Information Centre or the National Eating Disorders Association.

Photo by Migraine Chick.

Back in 2006, I was on a crowded Mumbai train, on my way to work, when my vision started to blur and my head hurt. I made my way out based solely on memory. You probably have your own migraine horror stories to tell, pounding head, distorted vision, fatigue and all. How do you deal with that kind of pain without resorting to painkillers? Maybe you’ll find an answer in the list below:

Acupressure

Photo by quinn.anya

A temple massage is usually the first line of defense for a headache. A shoulder, neck and back massage works even better. But now it’s time to go a step further with acupressure. This is the manual application of pressure to specific points along the body in order to correct internal imbalances. In case of migraines, the points that assume importance are the top of your head (right at the middle), the base of your skull (behind both ears), the area between thumb and forefinger and between the big and second toe. Apply pressure to these points using your fingertips in 5-10 minute cycles to ease migraine symptoms.

(Note – If pregnant, avoid the hand pressure point.)

Migraine Packs

Sometimes it’s the simplest home remedies that works best – lemons for example. Extract and grind the lemon peel to a paste and apply to your forehead. Let the paste dry before rinsing off. The lemon oil present in the peel has multiple therapeutic properties – it has a cooling effect on the body; it lowers stress, fatigue and pain; it works as a muscle relaxant; it also boosts immunity and circulation. You can also use sandalwood powder for the same results.

Breathing exercises

Yoga generally has an answer for everything; here it’s deep breathing. If you feel a migraine coming, just sit down and Breathe. Inhale. Exhale. Big giant gasps of air. In case of mild migraines, gentle yoga exercises help with quick recovery.

(Note – Poor body alignment can cause migraines. Regular yoga helps improves posture.)

Stay hydrated

You’ve heard it before. I’m going to say it again – water is the simplest way to avoid migraines. Drink at least 8 glasses of water every day and throw in fresh fruit and vegetable juices to the mix to keep the pain at bay. Additionally, if you feel uneasy on the road, a cup of herbal tea (ginger or peppermint) will settle things down – it controls nausea, relieves pain, detoxifies and relaxes the body.

Essential Oils

Photo by Crystalwood Naturals

Essential oils are packed with therapeutic properties; for starters they boost blood circulation and relax tense muscles. Dabbing a bit of lavender or primrose oil on your temples can help relieve pain. Another approach is to combine essential oils with hydrotherapy. Fill the basin with warm water, add a few drops of oil, and soak your hands into the solution.
[Note – Ensure the oil is authentic and not an artificial substitute.]

Herbs

Look hard enough and you’ll find a herbal remedy for almost any malady. When it comes to migraines, herbs like feverfew, gingko biloba, ginger, poppy seed, willow and skull cap, do the trick. They help improve circulation, relax tensed muscles, and relieve inflammation and pain. Herbal treatments are available as ointments, tinctures, teas and capsules.

Homeopathy

Homeopathy uses natural healing substances to address underlying health issues. In short, it treats the root problem, not just the symptom, making it a great migraine treatment. Homeopathy treatments are unique to every individual. So consult a certified physician to zero in on the treatment best suited for you.

COMMUNITY CONNECTION

How about you? Know any migraine therapies that work? Leave us a comment, and help out other travelers along the way.

Photo by Jennie Faber

People fail to realize the importance of getting a good night’s rest. I say this as I down my third cup of coffee for the day, having slept just six hours last night. Usually I can brush it off and still get the day’s deeds done, but there are little, often unnoticeable side-effects. Wavering concentration, lack of memory, and being irritable are just a few.

Then there’s the larger, more long-term effects, like compromising one’s health to get more hours out of a day. Our nervous systems are also affected, which hinders a body’s ability to carry out demands. As a consequence, reaction times are often delayed. According to this BBC reaction test, I’m merely an ambling armadillo rather than a turbo-charged cheetah. The truth hurts.

Offbeat Solutions

If you have sleep issues, I’m sure you’ve heard all the usual methods. Stop eating before bed. No caffeine or alcohol throughout the day. No having any fun whatsoever.

Here are some unconventional methods for improving your sleep habits.

1. Get up and go – Stop making excuses, jump out of bed as soon as you’re awake. Place your alarm clock on the other side of the room so you’ll have to get out of bed to reach it.

2. Practice waking up — Before you settle down for the night, climb into bed and pretend to be asleep. Next, jump out of bed excited and eager to start the day! Eventually your brain will stop being such a lazy bones and realize your body is in charge.

Photo by Muffet

3. Toss and turn slowly — Tossing and turning is an impulse effect that can be stopped by forcing yourself to stay still for 15 second intervals. If you are truly uncomfortable and must turn over, do it very slowly. Your body will automatically relax.

4. Keep a sleep journal — Record what time you go to bed, key events that happened throughout the day, dreams, the time if you awake during the night, and how you feel in the morning. When you’ve recorded enough information over a period of weeks, you can look back and determine what factors and events caused you to be sleepless, and then make a plan to deal with these problems.

5. Practice some bedtime yoga and meditation — The rhythm control of your breathing streghtens the nervous system if practiced on a regular basis. Within a few months, your sleep becomes deeper and more relaxed. This practice also helps when dealing with jet lag or travel stress.

The Big No-No

No matter what methods you try, do not turn to sleeping pills or other drugs. Your body will learn to rely on medication to fall asleep. Unless you have a serious sleep condition like Restless Leg Syndrome or Narcolepsy, there are other safer solutions to try.

COMMUNITY CONNECTION

How do you wind down after a long day? Share your sleep solutions.

Photo by Smoobs

You typically won’t find me in a doctor’s office unless I believe I am indisputably dying. I believe I acquired this attitude during my childhood. At the first sign of illness, my mother would brew up one of her infamous concoctions involving some variation of garlic, lemon, honey, or salt water. She would scoff at my suggestion that I be given cherry-flavored cough syrup like every other kid I knew, but before I could muster any words of indignation, I would feel better and have to admit defeat.

Now that I’m older I realize that my mother’s recipes weren’t some kind of mad science experiment thought up by Cuban parents eager to torture their children. I’m grateful for these simple wisdoms passed on through the generations that never fail to work for me; I’ve even made a habit of collecting recipes throughout my travels. If you share in my aversion to antiseptic-smelling waiting rooms or late-night runs to the drugstore, these remedies from around the world might come in handy.

Headaches

India – Mix a tablespoon of ground cinnamon with a tablespoon of warm water and apply the paste to your forehead. If possible, lie somewhere dark until your headache subsides. This remedy eliminates headaches caused by exposure to cold air (and smells kind of nice, too).

Upset Stomach

Spain – Boil some water and throw in a handful of celery leaves (make sure to rinse them first). Let the leaves steep for five minutes, strain, and then drink the tea. Celery is the enemy of acid buildup.

Latin America – Make chamomile tea. Using your own dried chamomile is best, but chamomile tea bags are readily available in most grocery stores. The plant sterols in chamomile love to soothe an upset stomach.

Photo by chadao

China – Add four slices of fresh ginger to a cup of black tea. A British medical journal found that ginger is more effective than Dramamine in alleviating motion sickness. This is old news to Chinese medicine, which has made use of it for thousands of years.

Cold and Flu

Dominican Republic – Finely chop half of a large onion. Mix with one cup of honey (the amount in a typical honey bear). Every night, take 2 tablespoons of this mixture with the juice of half a lime. Onions have powerful anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-everything bad super powers, which are enhanced by lime juice chock-full of Vitamin C.

Cuba – Make an oregano tea. Steep half a cup of dried oregano in a cup of boiling water and let it steep for five minutes before straining. The oil of the oregano leaves is a natural antibacterial, and the taste even grows on you (I swear!)

Russia – Drink a cup of kefir (a yogurt-like milk drink). Chop two cloves of raw garlic super finely and swallow. Raw garlic is what every natural cure wants to be when it grows up—it is one of the most powerful natural antibiotics, and is widely used as an ingredient in all kinds of home remedies. Eaten alone it can upset your stomach, but the kefir coats your stomach first so the garlic won’t give you a burning feeling. If you don’t have access to kefir, add the raw garlic to a salad or sandwich.

Sore Throat

Global – Dissolve five tablespoons of salt in a cup of hot water and use as a gargle. It feels like being overcome by a wave at the beach, but the salt water will get rid of germs and bacteria in your throat.

Photo by aussiegall

Acne

South Africa – Create an acne cream by mixing four tablespoons of honey with three teaspoons of ground cinnamon. Apply it directly to the skin and leave it on overnight. Use it every night for best results. This paste is slightly astringent and thought to contain antibacterial properties.

Middle East – Look for black seed oil at an Arab grocery store. Use it like a mask—apply to your face for an hour and then wash it off. The Prophet Muhammad is quoted as saying, “Use this black seed regularly, because it has a cure for every disease except death.” It was also believed to have been used by Pharaohs in ancient Egypt. If you don’t have access to black seed oil, you can use aloe vera gel, but make sure it is pure aloe vera with no added ingredients.

Minor Burns

USA – Apply egg whites to the burn and let it dry. Reapply as necessary until the pain subsides. Egg whites will cool down your skin and prevent scarring.

Hangovers

Australia – Eat plenty of Vegemite on toasted bread. This spread made from brewer’s yeast extract hasn’t quite reached international popularity, but is a beloved staple of the Aussie diet. You’ll be thanking them after a night of hardcore partying.

USA – Make a “prairie oyster”: Combine a raw egg yolk, two teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce, two teaspoons of vinegar, one teaspoon of hot sauce, two teaspoons of ketchup, salt, and pepper. Make sure not to crack the yolk. People swear by this, but I think I’d rather spend the day on a hangover deathbed than drink it. Either way, consume at your own risk!

COMMUNITY CONNECTION

Have you discovered any helpful remedies throughout your travels? Share them in the comments below!

Photo by peapodsquadmom

The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services has set up www.Flu.Gov, and in partnership with Google, the CDC and state and local health departments, they’ve included a flu shot locator map along with their website’s search function to list locations and resources by state. You can even check out Homeland Security’s National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza, a document dated 2005 with an introduction by our previous president. The fun never ends.

Feel like getting really paranoid? Check out the “Health Map” and you will probably discover that H1N1 is “widespread” in your state, but look a little closer and you’ll see that you can click “State Resources” in the upper left corner of your screen. Click your state to find resources for where you can get the traditional and the H1N1 vaccine, and where you can find out how to volunteer to distribute the vaccine yourself.

Photo by Y

Some locations are only offering the vaccine to the very old, the very young, pregnant women and those with a compromised immune system. Make sure to call in advance to check availability before you waste time as information from these resources is subject to change.

Perhaps the day has come when big government can help by aggregating information with small government for the greater good of all. I’m not holding my breath, though. A quick search in my home state (Kentucky) reveals two error messages, both on the H1N1 links.

In the meantime, while you may be waiting for your chance to get a flu shot (or both of them as is recommended this year), follow the advice of the Staple Singers and “put your hand on your mouth when you cough,” make sure to wash up afterwards, and stay home when you’re sick.

COMMUNITY CONNECTION

For more information on keeping flu-free, navigate to Fight Flu for loads of practical information. Still unsure whether or not to get a flu-shot? Check out Vaccine Myths to help ease your mind.

Photo: wikicommmons

AS A STUDENT OF Tai Chi Chuan [literally translated "the supreme ultimate boxing], I was stoked to hear about this study which came out last month from the University of Florida. It showed, among other things, that people with type 2 diabetes were able to lower their blood sugar over a period of six months by regularly practicing Tai Chi.

Tai Chi is an ancient Chinese martial art. There are many forms, but the root concept is the same: you focus on a series of postures and movements that simulates defending against various attacks. It’s basically an exercise in flow. Everything is slowed down to the point where the motions become a form of moving meditation, a way to concentrate on your breathing and harmonize mind and body.

Over the years I’ve practiced a couple different forms, and each time am amazed at how the ‘effects’ of an hour long session can last for the rest of the day or night. You have more energy, less stress, and you just move better. You pay attention to how you stand up, sit down, walk across a room. You have higher mental clarity.

I’ve also found that doing a little bit of Tai Chi before paddling, surfing or snowboarding helps me perform better. Some of the movements within the forms, such as ‘Needle at Sea-Bottom’, are essentially board-riding stances. And others, such as ‘Wave Hands Like Clouds’ teaches you how to initiate turns using your whole body.

I love it when science substantiates what people intuit for themselves. Tai Chi is healing. It’s something you should consider starting now, or picking back up if you’ve studied before. The key, in my opinion, is having a good teacher. Unfortunately I couldn’t find any solid ‘national’ resources. Please search your local area for Tai Chi instructors. Any other online resources out there? Please let us know in the comments, and tell us what health (or other) benefits you’ve experienced through Tai Chi.

Feature photo by leah.jones. Above photo by zappowbang

I know many too many women with breast cancer.

A great aunt, two close friends and quite a few other family members. My mother does breast cancer research and is herself a survivor who has been in remission for seven years. She works in the same lab where her own biopsy was diagnosed. Statistics tell me there is a 1 in 8 chance that I may one day be fighting as well.

So what can I — and all of you — do now, to prevent, educate and support in the fight?

Take care of yourself first.

Learn what you can do to educate yourself, prevent and protect yourself from breast cancer. This includes, among other things, monthly self exams and yearly mammograms. If you find something suspicious, talk to a doctor immediately.

Shave something for solidarity.

Your head, your beard or whatever other body part makes sense.

This year at Burning Man, my good friend Stephanie and husband, Noah both sheared their locks to support our friend Gail. It was without a doubt the most meaningful event of the entire week.

Another friend of ours is shaving his beard for the first time this decade to be part of Movember, a yearly mustache growing charity event held in November each year to raise funds and awareness for men’s health, because, remember, not only women get breast cancer.

Create Community

Lotsa Helping Hands allows you to develop a “free-of-charge, private, web-based community to organize family, friends, neighbors, and colleagues for someone currently undergoing treatment.”

There you can develop a framework to provide meals, rides to and from the hospital and whatever else might be needed.

Create Your Own Fundraising and Awareness Event

Passionately Pink, part of Susan G Komen for the Cure, gives you all the resources and materials you need to set mobilize friends, family and even strangers to raise money and work toward a cure. You can join an already existing team or run an event of your own.

Listen and Share

Too often, we believe those with cancer don’t want to talk about it. In truth, it’s more likely our own discomfort causes us not to ask questions. Instead, open yourself to listen and really hear what a friend with cancer has to say.

Finally, I call on all of you to share your own experiences and resources by leaving a comment below.

Photo by mag

The rivalry between these two libation titans is long-standing. Tea fanatics preach endlessly about the various health benefits of brewed leaves while coffee lovers consistently chronicle their endless appreciation for ground beans.

What’s a fence-sitter to do?

While the taste debate is still heatedly contested, tea has been scientifically proven to be much healthier for the human body than coffee. Next to its caffeine content, coffee doesn’t do much else for its fans. If you’re trying to decide which drink is better for you in the long run, it’s tea by far.

Below are 10 reasons why you’ll be doing your body a favor by incorporating the ancient beverage into your everyday diet.

1. Tea’s rich in antioxidants.

Photo by R. Motti

Teas contain high levels of polyphenols, which function as powerful antioxidants that protect your body from free radicals. Heart disease, diabetes, and cancer are all contributed to by the damage done by free radicals. Antioxidants aid in preventing and repairing such damage.

2. Tea has less caffeine than coffee.

Photo by eyeore2710

High amounts of caffeine can raise blood pressure and health professionals generally recommend a maximum daily coffee consumption of four 8-oz cups. Tea, on the other hand, contains much less caffeine than coffee, allowing tea aficionados to enjoy more of the healthful brewed concoction each day.

3. Tea fights cancer.

A number of scientific studies have found that antioxidants may slow or possibly prevent the development of cancer. Because tea is high in antioxidants, drinking it regularly can help ward off cancer.

4. Tea fights heart disease.

Tea protects the heart by relaxing blood vessels, inhibiting clots, and reducing cholesterol levels. Its high antioxidant levels also help ensure your heart’s health.

5. Tea wards off osteoporosis.

Photo by okinawa soba

Coffee’s high caffeine content can contribute to osteoporosis, but green and black teas can help maintain bone health. Studies have found that people who drink tea five times a week have significantly better bone health than those who rarely drink tea.

6. Tea kick starts metabolism.

Coffee is an effective method of suppressing your appetite, but tea will actually give your metabolism the kick it needs to burn calories and fat. For those looking to lose weight, tea is better and more helpful in the long run.

7. Not addictive

Photo by selva

Coffee lovers know this to be true. The high amounts of caffeine in that delicious morning cup make it hard, sometimes impossible, to resist. Tea, however, contains significantly less amounts of caffeine which frees your wallet from the puppet strings of your local cafe! Add the health benefits of drinking tea helping you avoid future medical bills and you’ve got a drink that protects your body as well as your bank account. Betcha didn’t see that one coming.

8. Tea reduces high blood pressure.

Caffeine can cause a temporary spike in blood pressure, which is bad news for those who have already been diagnosed with hypertension. Because tea helps relax blood vessels, it can actually reduce your blood pressure. That’s good news, no?

9. Tea prevents tooth decay.

Photo by estherase

Coffee can contribute to brittle teeth, whereas tea helps inhibit the bacteria that lead to cavities. Fewer cavities mean a more brilliant smile to catch that neighborhood cutie’s eye. Who knew drinking tea could improve your love life?

10. Tea treats inflammation.

Studies have found the catechins in tea help reduce bladder and skin inflammations. This is good news for your body, inside and out!

Though tea surpasses coffee in terms of health benefits by leaps and bounds, coffee does present its own merits for the human body. For example, caffeine can help alleviate asthma and enhance the pain-relieving effects of aspirin. Unfortunately in the long run, the benefits of coffee still pale in comparison to those of tea. So, whether you enjoy green, black, oolong, or Earl Grey, you are doing your body a wonderful favor by brewing that next healthful pot of tea.

COMMUNITY CONNECTION:

Are you a tea drinker or a coffee lover? And where in the world have you had your most memorable cuppa? Let us know in the comments!

Bed bugs, or Cimex Lectularius feed on human blood. They can be found virtually everywhere on the planet and do not care how many stars your hotel room is rated. Once almost completely eliminated from developed areas, they are now making a huge global return. Increased international travel is thought be a major contributing factor.

Bites

Bed bug bites can range from un-noticed to large, angry, itchy and inflamed welts. Physical reactions to bites varies, with some people have strong reactions and others having no symptoms at all.

The main problem associated with bedbug bites is a local skin infection, brought upon by scratching the bites with dirty fingers. A good cleaning with soap and water, several times per day, can help reduce this risk. Typical bite patterns may be noticed, especially several bites “in line” on the skin.

Itching is the most common problem with these bites and there are several methods to help reduce the need to dig. Oral antihistamines, such as Benadryl, have been used with success. Many have had very good luck with simple cortisone cream, applied directly to the bite sites. Heat has also been shown to work well with hot water, hot compresses and even blow dryers used to heat the area, reducing itch.

Image: Wikipidia Commons

Detection

Check the bed, the pillowcases, carpets, headboard and seams of the mattress. Bed bugs can hide in tiny cracks and are generally not visible during the day.

Evidence of their activity may be noted, such as small blood stains, eggs, droppings or a characteristic odor. Simply looking at the bed sheets may not be good enough. Bed bugs can hide in seams of the mattress, in boxes under the bed or even cracks in the bed posts or frame.

Unfortunately, the best method for bed bug detection is catching them in the act. This is generally accomplished by keeping a flashlight near the bed and shining the light under the covers.

Prime movement time is one hour before dawn. Bed bugs tend to move fast. As stomach-turning as it may sound, try to catch one and show it to the hotel operator. Immediately.

Sleeping With The Enemy

The goal is to keep the bugs from getting to you while you sleep. There are several tricks to this and the key is to isolate yourself from the ground as much as possible.

• Bed bugs hate water and placing the bed posts in a small dish of water helps keep them from climbing up to you.
• Double sided tape, wrapped around bed posts can also help, as can petroleum jelly smeared to the bed frame and legs.
• Wrapping the mattress in plastic also helps the bugs from getting out, thus cutting them off from their food source (your blood).

Image: Wikipedia Commons

Elimination of Infestation

Eliminating the infestation will not happen overnight and adjacent rooms are likely “buggy”, as well. If you are staying in a hotel, ask to change rooms as far away as possible from the original.

It will be safe to assume that the bugs have already infected your luggage and packed clothing. Cleaning with hot water and commercial clothes dryers (at the hottest setting the fabric allows) generally kills all bed bugs. Ironing clothing and sheets can also help with elimination.

Telling A Hotel

Reactions from hotel operators will vary. Some may apologize profusely and not charge you for the stay. Others may accuse you of bringing the bugs with you, in your gear. Some may not care at all.

The important thing to remember is that any place with a bed and fabric can harbor bed bugs, regardless of price paid for the room. Also, remember to approach the hotel operator with a touch of compassion – it may not be their fault.

Community Connection

Check other posts here at Matador where we ask Adventure Doc our health questions:, such as How to Stay Healthy During Flu Season?

If you’re in dire straits–and I’m not talking about no longer being able to pay your $100+ cable bill, but just scraping by, living paycheck to paycheck–here’s a quick guide to keep your fur-buddy from becoming a burden.

Despite what the pet industry–and it is an industry–tries to peddle, animals do not need that much to be healthy and happy, but they do need consistency and care. Also, keep in mind that cheaper does not mean easier.

Medical

Photo by Paulo Ordoveza

Medical bills can be the biggest expenditure to break a struggling pet companion’s budget, but serious health problems can be avoided or at least mitigated with regular health maintenance.

Don’t skip vaccinations and check-ups. Not only do shots prevent costly diseases such as leukemia, but regular vet visits can catch other maladies in initial, cheaper-to-treat phases.

Some vaccinations are less necessary than others, though. (For instance, if you live in a geographical area with low risk for Lyme disease, then that shot isn’t a pressing concern for your dog.) Talk with your vet about individualizing a preventive care program for your pet.

Here’s a list of vaccinations and their recommended administration schedules.

Food

Don’t think that buying a 20 pound bag of generic commercial pet food is cutting down on anything but your companion’s life-expectancy. Loaded with fillers and light on substance, these foods essentially starve your pet of nutrition.

How long would you expect to stay healthy if you ate fast food for every meal? Ensuring a balanced diet with proper exercise will keep complications associated with obesity, heart disease, and dental disease at bay.

If premium pet food is too expensive, consider making your own pet food. Some animals’ dietary needs lend themselves to homemade meals (like dogs, who actually don’t mind a bit of fruit in their diet), and oftentimes can be cheaper and more nutrient-rich than processed foods.

Experiment with recipes and ingredients to see what works with your budget, but make sure to consult your vet before switching to homemade.

Signing up for special savings programs on manufacturers’ or retailers’ websites, and scanning for coupons also saves more money than you’d think.

Grooming

Photo by Mark

With the exception of certain breeds, most cats and dogs can be groomed easily at home with a consistent routine—and even the more high-maintenance breeds can be home-groomed with a bit of practice.

Daily to weekly brushings, depending on coat lengths and types, help to spread essential oils, remove detritus, and maintain overall coat health. And if you gently ease your pet into having its paws touched, rewarding it with positive reinforcement, nail trimming doesn’t have to be an epic battle, either.

Constant handling of your pet also allows you to feel for any unusual lumps or bumps that can indicate the early onset of medical problems (in addition to, of course, deepening the bond with your ani-pal).

Here are some general tips for dog and cat grooming.

Free or Discount Services

You’ve tried everything to reduce expenditures, but it’s still down to a choice between your pet and your dinner plate.

Check this site and review this list for comprehensive resources regarding financial aid, discount veterinary services, pet food banks, and other charitable assistance for special needs candidates, including the elderly, the ill, the disabled, and the just plain broke.

Even with all these tips and resources, you might find that you’re no longer able to afford or house your pet. If you have to make that difficult decision to relinquish your animal companion, make sure to surrender them to a no-kill shelter. With most shelters, municipal and not, at full-capacity, there’s not much guarantee that your pet will find the home he or she deserves.

COMMUNITY CONNECTION

How are you affected by the recession? Do you have any tips for managing pet-related expenses on a shoestring budget? Share your thoughts below!

Alison Haynes knows a thing or two about keeping house, having just released Clean Sweep: The Ultimate Guide To Decluttering, Detoxing and Destressing Your Home. The guide serves as a comprehensive how-to for any homeowner, including many ‘recipes’ for homespun cleaners and beauty aids.

Alison took a few minutes to answer our questions about dangers that might be lurking in our abodes.

As travelers, many of our readers rent apartments, or lead a nomadic existence between houses. What things should we be looking for when checking out an apartment, before deciding to rent it?

One of the simplest ‘tests’ is the nose test. How does it smell? If it smells damp, of chemicals, musty …. these are indications that all’s not well. The apartment may have insufficient ventilation, or be full of VOCs (volatile organic compounds) being emitted from new carpets or furniture — ventilation is the key.

Sunlight also helps keep microbes in check. Look for damp patches and mold on the walls, especially in ‘wet’ areas such as bathrooms and kitchens. Personally, I would also be looking at how I’m going to dry clothes. I’m not a fan of dryers as they are big power munchers and therefore are polluting.

I’ve never owned a dryer and always managed with a clotheshorse or clothes line if I have the space.

Price: $11.01 | BUY

With all of the chemicals swilling through cleaning products, what dangers do they present to the air in our houses?

It is difficult to be precise about the dangers of particular chemicals in cleaning products, but there’s no doubt we should treat them with respect.

Some pose more problems than others: aerosols, for instance, create clouds of tiny droplets that could be inhaled; ammonia produces irritating fumes (so use in a well ventilated space). If they smell, they’re in the air.

For those of us with kids especially, is there any way to tell if the paint on our walls may contain lead?

There are a number of tests, including DIY ones and lab tests. Check with your local authority about what tests are available and which are recommended (this is important as not all may have been approved).

The age of the house and paint may also be an indicator. For instance, in Australia, lead was routinely added to paint before 1950.

Most folks head straight for the pesticide aisle when encountering household pests. What are some more organic, safe ways of dealing with bugs and rodents?

Mechanical means is usually a much safer option. For instance, glue traps for cockroaches and simple spring traps baited with pumpkin or Brazil nuts for rodents such as rats. Preventative measures — such as sealing cracks where pests get in or installing fly screens on windows — can also help you avoid pesticides.

Photo by Max Klingensmith

It seems like there are many quick fixes on the market for getting rid of weeds, or growing a garden faster. Do these pose any threat?

You need to be thinking about what effect they might have on other wildlife. If it’s killing a plant, what’s it doing for ladybugs? or birds? or fish, if it leaches into the waterways? Fish and amphibians such as frogs are particularly vulnerable to pesticides such as weed killers and we should be wary of using them.

Is there an easy way to tell if the insulation in our old houses is safe?

Again, this is best dealt with on a local level, with local knowledge about what has been traditionally used in the area. If you suspect asbestos, it is very important you don’t try to deal with it yourself as disturbance can send fibers into the air.

I hadn’t really thought of carpets as potential chemical hazards. Can you explain how they might be?

Many new carpets emit VOCs — volatile organic compounds. These can be hazardous to breathe, potentially triggering allergic reactions and irritations, for instance. It’s the finishes and extras like underlay which are the problem. Chemicals used throughout the house may also collect in the carpet, along with dust mites and fungi.

Photo by Remy Sharp

Are there any plants that can help make the home healthier? I also noticed that you recommended some plants as deterrents to things like mosquitoes and flies.

NASA has examined how a number of plants improve air quality by removing gases such as formaldehyde and acetone. These include common household plants such as the Peace Lily, Boston Fern, and Spider plant. And yes, some plants such as lavender, mint, thyme and rosemary have fly repellent qualities.

An air freshener seems like a quick fix to make things smell good. Are there any dangers in using them?

They usually contain solvents of some sort and sometimes hydrocarbons as well as perfume. One chemical to avoid in air fresheners is para-dichlorobenzene, an organochlorine that can accumulate in the body and is implicated in liver and nerve damage.

Some alternative air fresheners are listed in Clean Sweep in the chapter about the bathroom and include scented candles and bicarbonate of soda and lemon juice. Good ventilation is the best air freshener around.

Feature photo by Heliøs. Photo above by SuperFantastic.

Erik McLaughlin is not your typical doctor. This family practice resident speaks four languages, attended medical school in England, and aims to focus on expedition medicine in the near future.

With a real passion for taking care of travelers and embarking on adventures in remote locations, he is an adventure doc in every sense of the word.

Matador sat down with the Adventure Doc to pick his brain for travel health advice. Travelers are exposed to a much wider range of viruses and medical situations abroad than domestically, and we wanted to know what advice the Doc had for our readers.

Matador: Does Vitamin C really work?

Vitamin C is relatively well known as having some benefit, although it has yet to be proven in serious medical literature. Lots of people cite many studies on Vitamin C. These studies are often improperly done, have small numbers of participants, and show skewed data.

Interpretation of data is key, as is the source and quality of the research study. Basically, there is no proof of the effectiveness of Vitamin C, but I say, if it makes you feel better, go for it! I still take one gram of Vitamin C every day that I am sick.

Matador: And what about Emergen-C?

I actually drink Emergen-C often. I love the easy packets, great vitamins, and electrolytes. I had a glass earlier today. I also carry it with me in my first aid kit when I travel.

Photo by shareski.

Matador: Why are sports drinks so effective in rehydrating sick people?

The thing about sports drinks is that they contain glucose, which couples with water molecules, helping them get from inside the stomach to the blood stream faster. Thus, dehydration gets treated faster. Sports drinks are the best for dehydration, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

But you don’t need to buy the expensive ones. Some water, a few pinches of salt, and a spoonful of sugar work fine, too.

Matador: Hand sanitizing gel vs. hand washing?

A very good question! There is a bit of an argument in the surgical crowd about this. Both state that the gel and actual hand washing are effective, and I believe they are. But one always tries to be better than the other.

The problem with hand washing is that tap water is not always clean water and definitely not sterile. If I just washed my hands with soap and then rinsed with crappy water, that’s no good.

Personally, I use hand gel when I need to be sterile and try a mix of both when I’m traveling. Either way, washing your hands is the most important thing to prevent infection from colds and the flu. This is proven, retested, and proven again. This is the most important thing I can say about infection prevention.

Matador: How does the flu shot work?

The flu shot is basically a prediction of what several flu strains are going to be the most virulent and pathogenic the next year. Flu shot engineers take into consideration the way viruses change as they shift from continent to continent and spread around the world.

Engineers grow the virus, then inactivate it before administering it to patients so it cannot infect people. Your body recognizes the virus and remembers it so when you encounter it again, your body immediately releases white blood cells to kick some butt! Flu shots do work and should be encouraged.

Photo by rocknroll_guitar.

Matador: Why is it so important travelers get the flu shot?

Viruses mutate as they travel the globe. This is where travelers come into the equation of global disease spread. Influenza is pandemic stuff. Think epidemics that kill millions. The common cold just gives you a runny nose, a 2-3 day fever, and a cough.

The flu kills millions in outbreaks. The early 1900s saw a global pandemic killing millions. This is the fear with the bird flu. Hence the emphasis on travelers getting the flu shot.

Matador: Besides travelers, for whom else is the flu shot essential?

People with medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes, or heart disease should get the flu shot. Anybody who risks being killed from a case of the flu should get a flu shot.

Matador: What is the typical incubation period for the flu virus, and is it possible to combat the flu during this stage?

The incubation period varies depending on the virus, bacteria, or infectious agent. Generally a 2-14 day incubation is common. Fighting off the flu is almost a futile attempt. If you got it, you got it. Like bad body odor, nothing can be done.

The term we use is “symptomatic treatment,” meaning we try to help the runny nose, cough, or fever. But fighting the virus is very tough. Viruses are clever. There are some antiviral medications like Tamiflu that take action against replication of the viruses, thus shortening the duration of the illness.

However, use of antivirals can also increase resistance to the medications, ultimately making them useless.Really, the only things you can do is treat the symptoms and ride it out.

Photo by Augapfel.

Matador: What are some key steps in prevention?

The flu shot may not be in everyone’s lifestyle, but hand washing should be. Hand washing is a very inexpensive and very effective method of prevention. Rest is also key, as lack of rest can lower the immune system.

Additionally, some argue that being properly hydrated prevents tiny cracks in your mucous membranes that will allow viral particles suspended in the air an easy entry portal.

Proper nutrition is also vital. Being fit and healthy lessens your recovery time, makes your immune system stronger, and increases resistance. This is why people with chronic medical problems should get the flu shot.

Matador: What is the number one piece of advice you’d give to travelers in order to avoid the flu?

Travelers are encountering things that they have never seen before – buildings, people, pathogens. Their resistance to simple local illnesses is almost non-existent. Travelers need to be extra cautious as they are encountering things that are new to their body. Hand washing is the most important thing a traveler can do to avoid the common cold while on the road. Proven prevention is hand washing.

Matador: How do you know when it’s time to go see a doctor?

Signs of trouble include fevers not responsive to medication like Tylenol, shortness of breath with cough, changes in the color of mucus. Rashes are also pretty big red flags to me. This is assuming lots of things like the person is a healthy adult, not in a malaria-exposed environment, and has no recent foreign exposures.

Matador: What items does the Adventure Doc pack to stay healthy while traveling?

Ibuprofen or a pain and fever medication like Tylenol, electrolyte powder, and an antihistamine like Benadryl. Ibuprofen can treat pain, fever, inflammation, and much more. It is truly a wonder drug!

Matador: What literature would you recommend for our travelers without medical backgrounds?

Field Guide To Wilderness Medicine, Travel and Tropical Medicine Manual, and Where There Is No Doctor. The best, by far, is the Field Guide to Wilderness Medicine. That should be read by every traveler.

The Adventure Doc hopes to open his own travel clinic in 2009 and is available for internet consultations. Visit his website or contact him through email : adventuredoc@gmail.com.

Run.

Wait, you might be saying here, I am not the sporty type who looks as if she’s just bounded out of a Gatorade commercial at 7 AM.

To you I say, there are plenty of ways to run that do not involve the drudgery (which I admittedly love) of throwing on an old t-shirt and hitting the streets for 50 minutes of sweat and tears.

The Hash House Harriers offer one of the best ways to forget you are actually running. You’ll get caught up in the spirit of camaraderie, following a paper trail through the Malaysian jungle or the Australian outback or central Beijing. Before you know it, you’ll be beaming proudly as you pour beers over your head.

Here’s a tutorial video about “hashing”:

I suggested to my husband that we go on a Hash run in Borneo and the look I got in response was somewhere between contempt and utter disbelief that I could understand him so poorly. Yet, we ran (after intense bargaining) and even he, who thinks my addiction to running is some sort of genetic defect, loved it.

It’s all about the spirit of community, beer drinking, storytelling, and (don’t tell anyone) getting a little exercise in. The HHH are everywhere around the world, and usually have one to two runs a week.

For those of you who can imagine enjoying, or actually do enjoy, hitting the road for a run from time to time, mix it up by looking for international races. Race to a Zapotec archeological site in Mexico. Head to Bermuda for a half-marathon. Run an international marathon (down the Champs Elysees in Paris! Through Tiananmen Square in Beijing!)

If you’re bored with your running routine, or need motivation to get started, it might be worth it to aim for one of these races as a goal.

Photo by woodleywonderworks

Get creative and stay consistent with homemade routines.

Bond with a couple cans of pinto beans and a sturdy chair and commit yourself to using them for a series of exercises on a regular basis.

Even the major fitness buffs at your hard-ass neighborhood gym concede that you really only need to do a couple sets of weights and exercises three or four times a week to build muscle tone and stay fit.

Plenty of simple routines require little more than an improvised canned good, a jump rope (find a few here) and, of course, your own motivated visions of your sleek muscular self on some Brazilian beach.

Dance.

Tango, salsa, belly dancing, drunken disco gyrations, whatever. After a sedentary day in front of the computer, I crank up the radio and let loose (with only the dog as witness). Dance classes are taking off in popularity; here in Oaxaca alone there are classes in Arabic and African dance, modern dance, and, of course, salsa.

Photo by ronnie44052

They’re all good workouts, and force you to use your body in ways that you probably don’t in your day-to-day routine. Night owls can get their eat and drink on and then dance it off ‘till dawn.

Take a multi-day hike.

If this sounds daunting, I’ll affirm that all you need to pull this off are commitment and an altered, slowed sense of time. There are multi-day hikes in many countries that go between villages and cities and offer an intimate relationship with the landscape.

The Grand Randonnees in France are a great example: a series of trails that crisscross the country, they are usually well-marked and maintained, leading you through vineyards, lavender fields, tiny villages, and, yes, over the occasional mountain.

The hike adds a whole new dimension to the French travel experience, and goes beyond downing wine at your overpriced Parisian hostel.

Head to the local bookstore or look up hiking clubs to see what’s available vis-à-vis longer trails. Ask locals if it’s possible to hike between villages and whether you could get a guide, detailed maps, or both.

You don’t have to go fast and you don’t have to lug 40 pounds of gear up unconquered peaks; you simply have to walk, and (ideally) lose yourself in it.

Start a random activities night.

There is a lot of room for creativity here. Hipsters may opt for kickball, sportier types rugby or soccer (a friend of mine played nude soccer on a weekly basis in Vietnam), and more whimsical, creative, and/or nerdy types an improvised games night.

Being the latter personality I, along with a host of grad student friends, started up a games night in Madison, Wisconsin, in my last year of school there. Red Light, Green Light, Capture the Flag, you name it; count on a lot of nostalgia and a certain degree of physical activity.

So don’t despair, even if you’ve fallen off the fitness wagon. Think outside the jock box—tango, trek, get into a wild game of freeze tag—and indulge yourself in a big ol’ bag of cheese Ruffles and an oatmeal stout, as I’m going to do as soon as I finish another solo dance marathon in the living room.

Community Connection:

Interested in learning to dance? Check out our latest video, Learning to Dance Tango. Or maybe you’re more the running type? Give our 10 Tips for Beginning Marathoners a try.

Feature photo by Mayr. Photo above by Zach Klein.

According to the National Sleep Foundation, tens of millions of Americans are “members of the walking tired.” Sleep may sometimes seem beyond our control — especially when we’re desperately in need of it. But we have more control, at least over the factors that contribute to a good night’s sleep, than we realize.

Here are 7 tips and tricks that have worked for me, and a couple of faux-pas, too.

Do:

1. Turn off the TV.

Or better yet, keep it out of your bedroom/sleeping space entirely. People tend to lie in bed and channel surf when they can’t sleep, but it really doesn’t help. I mean, let’s be honest: you don’t actually find A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila, or Law and Order: Special Victims Unit relaxing, do you?

2. Create a clutter-free sleeping space.

That goes for physical and mental clutter. The more you can do to separate the complications of your waking life from the peace of your sleeping one, the better. This can be hard for students and travelers who tend to have more confined living spaces, but try to keep computer, notebooks, and any other physical manifestations of work/school/responsibilities off your bed.

In college, my computer was less than three feet from my bed — but I did my best to maintain at least that tiny distance. If I had to study, and had nowhere to go but my room, I sat on the floor.

3. End on a positive note.

When I’m working at night, I try to keep one simple, straightforward task for the end. This allows me to check something off my “To Do” list right before heading to sleep, meaning (in theory) that I’m worrying less about everything else on that list.

This applies equally to freelance writing, household chores, catching up your Facebook correspondence, or whatever else it is that occupies your time (and your restless mind).

Photo by stuartpilbrow.

4. Mind what you eat — and drink.

No caffeine: seems obvious, right? But that doesn’t stop people from going for that social latte after dinner, and even for seasoned coffee addicts, it makes a difference. Caffeine is a powerful drug; sensitivity varies, but I try not to drink any caffeinated tea or coffee after 4 PM if I want to sleep well that night. (Bear in mind that your oh-so-trendy green tea has some caffeine in it, too!)

Add sugary foods to the list of no-nos, as well. In fact, despite that old saw about not going to sleep on an empty stomach, I find an earlier dinner helps me sleep more soundly. Oh, and contrary to popular belief, alcohol won’t necessarily help you sleep, either. In fact, it can do just the opposite.

5. Be calm. Or at least, calmer.

If you’re like me, your sleeplessness has more to do with what you’re thinking about than what you ate for dinner. You need to find a way to stop (or at least, slow) those racing thoughts and worries and reminders.

This is where the old “counting sheep” trick comes in. I try to consciously control my breathing, slow down, and clear my thoughts. This is where breathing exercises can be particularly effective.

If I can’t clear my thoughts entirely, I try to replace them with something: a rhyme, a mantra, a nonsense phrase. Take your pick.There might also be something external (a song, or a poem?) that helps calm you. I used to swear by The Hollies’ He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother, played very quietly on my iPod, to ease me closer to sleep.

6. Find the sound of silence.

Alright, so you can’t stop your upstairs neighbor from blasting Dr. Dre, or your fridge from making that odd squealing noise. But you can put in earplugs, right? Do what you can to control the noise in your sleeping space. I’ve never been a big fan of white noise tapes (or Amazon rainforest sounds, or whale songs, or those drippy-noise fountains), but they work for some people. Earplugs work for me.

Photo by striatic.

7. Opt for a change of scenery.

Not everyone has a couch to sleep on. But if you do, in a worst-case scenario try hopping out of bed, grabbing a blanket, and flopping in the living room.I’ve found that sometimes a change of scenery is just what I need to escape whatever’s keeping me awake.

Don’t:

Daydream.

Happy thoughts can be just as hard to shove aside as stressful or anxiety-producing ones. So don’t get your mind revved up thinking about that trip to West Africa that you’ve always wanted to take, or making mental lists of the DVDs/books/pairs of shoes you’re going to buy with that unexpected cheque you just got in the mail.

Calm is the key word here. (See #5)

Photo by Remara Photography.

Medicate.

Resist the urge to pop a couple of Benadryls and say good-night courtesy of Big Pharma. More often than not, sleep meds only create dependence and an unhealthy cycle, making it harder for you to take back the night (as it were) on your own terms.

Note: All of the above is for occasional bouts of sleeplessness. Chronic insomnia should be treated by a doctor, counselor, sleep therapist, homeopath, or other clinical care provider.

Photo above by Breno Peck

1. Acai

Hailing from the Amazon rainforest, Acai berries are so rich in antioxidants you’d need to drink 20 times as much wine to match a single serving. They contain high levels of Omega fatty acids and amino acids.

2. Green Tea

Green tea is rich in an anti-oxidant known as epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). Studies show that EGCG inhibits cancer cell growth cells, and can be effective in lowering LDL cholesterol levels, as well as inhibiting the abnormal formation of blood clots. Other types of teas, while still providing health benefits, do not contain EGCG.

3. Beans

From green beans to kidney beans, there is no bean that is not a superstar in your diet. I know, it’s kind of cheating to encompass all beans as number three on the list, but what’s a health nut to do when all beans are good for the body?

An amazing source of fiber, beans are high in iron, manganese, and protein. Combine kidney beans, black beans, and white beans to make a three bean salad! Add lima beans to your soup! Use pinto beans in your chili!

4. Tuna

An extremely nutritious food, tuna is chock full of protein, Vitamin B, and Omega-3 fatty acids. Whether canned or fresh, tuna makes a solid contribution to your personal health.

When buying fresh tuna, be sure to use a trusted grocer or one that has a strong reputation for having a frequent supply of fresh fish.

5. Quinoa

This South American grains is sacred to the native peoples of the Andean mountains. Quinoa is high in protein, essential amino acids, and dietary fiber. Include them in your salad or as a gluten-free alternative to your meal. It cooks up quickly and is easy to digest.

6. Olive oil

Want shinier hair? Healthier skin? Consuming olive oil may be just the thing you need. From protecting people from heart disease to helping them regulate their cholesterol, olive oil is a must to include in your diet.

Be sure to purchase extra virgin olive oil as it is the safest to consume and contains the highest amounts of polyphenol antioxidants.

Photo above by Nate Steiner

7. Oatmeal

Did you know that oats contain soluble fiber, a cholesterol blasting ninja? And lower cholesterol levels mean lower risks of cardiovascular disease and stroke.

Start the day off with a yummy, hot bowl of oatmeal. Just chill on the sugar. Try maple syrup, molasses, or agave nectar instead.

8. Blueberries

Rich in vitamins, blueberries help lower cholesterol as well as help fight against cognitive decline.

Like the skins on grapes, blueberry skins contain flavonols that are not only great for your health, but also inhibit the development of cancer cells.

9. Mushrooms

Nature’s little umbrellas, mushrooms are high in fiber and vitamins like riboflavin and ascorbic acid. Bake ‘em, sautee ‘em, grill ‘em: mushrooms make an excellent and delicious addition to your meals!

10. Soy

As a complete source of protein, soy is the foundation of vegetarian food and beverages. But did you know that the soybean also contains loads of Omega-3 fatty acids?

11. Alfalfa sprouts

Though it tastes like grass, this superfood is loaded with antioxidants, vitamins, and other essential nutrients. Worried about your cholesterol? Want to fight osteoporosis? Have high blood pressure? Incorporating alfalfa sprouts into your diet is like injecting a huge does of life force into your body.

Photo above by SteveC

12. Ginger

More a medicinal aid than a superfood, ginger is nevertheless an ingredient you want to incorporate into your diet. This root helps digestion, reduces nausea, and even stimulates blood circulation, which helps remove toxins from the body.

In addition to all that, ginger is a direct anti-inflammatory. Throw it in a dish when you’re feeling under the weather. It’s a great, natural way to relieve symptoms and boost the immune system.

13. Salmon

Salmon tops the list of fish that is good for you. High in protein, Omega-3 fatty acids, Vitamin D, and good cholesterol, salmon helps prevent strokes and heart attacks. Just remember to stick to the wild Alaskan salmon.

14. Yogurt

With frozen yogurt making a huge comeback, this product is fast becoming near and dear to people’s hearts. It’s no surprise, as yogurt contains large amounts of friendly bacteria that do everything from help your digestion to protect you from infection.

It’s good for your bones, good for your immune system, and good for your body’s fat burning ability. But watch out: most yogurt products also have tons of sugar and unfortunately, sugar is not good for you.

15. Bananas

Ever wonder why people claim a sports drink and a banana as the ultimate hangover cure? That’s because bananas are the best source of potassium.

Potassium is an important electrolyte your body needs, especially after going big at the bars. In addition to adding potassium to the body, bananas increase the body’s absorption of calcium and help protect against stomach ulcers.

16. Bell peppers

High in Vitamins C and A, bell peppers are a fantastic, crispy treat for your body. Whether green, yellow, red, or orange, bell peppers are all rich in antioxidants which offer a wide array of health benefits. Dice ‘em to put in a salad! Slice ‘em to add to your curry!

17. Barley

In addition to its fantastic fiber content, barley contains niacin, which protects your cardiovascular system. Like other whole grains that are low in fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol, barley helps reduce the incidence of heart disease, certain cancers, and even Type 2 Diabetes.

Photo above by sean dreilinger

18. Papaya

This tasty fruit is brimming with Vitamin C and a great source of folate and potassium. It helps you maintain cardiovascular health and fight colon cancer. Some of the antioxidant nutrients in papaya also have anti-inflammatory effects.

I remember as a kid, I would always have papaya-milk smoothies in the summers. They are refreshing and nutritious!

19. Tomatoes

The premier source of lycopene, tomatoes, and all tomato products, are protective against a growing list of cancers. Included in that list are colon, prostate, pancreatic, and breast cancers. Tomatoes are also high in antioxidants.

20. Walnuts

Like many other superfoods, walnuts are an important source of Omega-3 fatty acids as well as other monounsaturated fats. Eating just four walnuts a day significantly increases your Omega-3 levels. Plus, walnuts make a great, crunchy addition to any dish or desert!

21. Avocado

In addition to being a good source of monounsaturated fats, avocados are high in folate, a nutrient that plays an important role in protecting you from cardiovascular disease or stroke. Just one cup contains 23% of the daily value for folate. So get the chips and make some guac!

22. Spinach

The classic superfood, spinach is filled to the brim with antioxidants, cancer-fighting agents, Iron, and Vitamin K. From protecting you from cancer to keeping your bones in tip-top shape, spinach does it all. Popeye was on to something.

23. Kale

A leafy, green vegetable that contains enormous amounts of Vitamins A, C, and K, kale has more nutritional value for fewer calories than almost all other foods. It’s inexpensive and because it’s easy to grow, you can find it at your local grocer’s all year round. It’s also a great source of fiber and calcium.

Photo above by Zed.Cat

24. Chocolate

Nature’s aphrodisiac, chocolate is full of flavonoids, which are the antioxidants that protect the body from damage done by free radicals. Lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure, and heart disease prevention are just some of the benefits of antioxidants.

Chocolate also contains the anti-depressant serotonin. No wonder eating chocolate always makes you feel better! Try and shoot for dark chocolate though, as it contains lesser amounts of sugar and milk fat and higher amounts of antioxidants. Don’t even ask about white chocolate.

Here’s to a happy and healthy 2009!

Feature photo by sonicwalker. Photo above by maureen_sill.

There are dozens of reasons to eat vegan (a diet excluding all animal products including eggs and dairy). You love animals; wish to shrink your carbon footprint, or seek a healthier diet. But are any of these reasons going to cook you a tasty and filling dinner tonight?

If you’re all lost in the supermarket when it comes to cooking compassionately then memorize the following article…or perhaps just read along, get psyched to do a little shopping and take to heart that building a vegan kitchen is a lifelong experience.

1. Take Stock

Before turning the kitchen into a mean-vegan-cooking machine, step back and look at what’s already there. You already may possess a small ransom in herbs and spices, a bottle of good olive oil or a chef’s knife (from mom or former roommate) hiding in the cutlery drawer. Toss old milk cartons to make room for delicious non-dairy milks (soy, almond or rice to start).

It’s time to develop the habit of label reading, starting with what’s in the cupboards. Pass on any opened non-vegan mixes, chips or cookies to your friends and donate unopened goods such as meaty soups or mac n’ cheese boxes to a food pantry.

Photo by KRob2005.

2. Pack it with Protein

Canned beans, vital wheat gluten, nuts and whole grains all are excellent sources of protein that can be readily stashed. You’ll never feel amiss for something in the “center” of the plate with a batch of homemade baked falafel or chickpea patties. Walnuts and cashews are delicious ground and sprinkled on pasta or vegan pizza.

There’s a whole world of vegan “dairy” to laden those refrigerator shelves with. Vegan cheeses can be hit or miss so ask for recommendations online or from vegan friends. Vegan yogurts are improving every day, with even soy-free varieties made with coconut milk!

3. Friendly Fats

At last, some good news: fats can be good for you, providing they’re minimally processed veggie fats such as canola, avocado and extra virgin olive oil. A healthy fat collection should include omega 3 fatty-acid staples like flax seed oil and hemp seed oil for heart and brain happiness (keeps skin and hair gorgeous too).

Unprocessed coconut oil is no longer a bad guy in the healthy fat scene. Enjoy unrefined coconut oil’s tropical fragrance in Indian curries or chocolate desserts.

4. Beyond the Pepper Shaker

Herbs and spices play a key role in delicious vegan cooking. Thyme and oregano are favorites in not just pasta sauce but also on potatoes or rubbed onto olive oil slathered flat bread.

Lemon pepper makes everything taste amazing, from popcorn to pumpkin soup. Look to traditional spice blends beyond our boarders, such as harissa, za’atar and Jamaican curry powder.

And no vegan pantry is complete without nutritional yeast! Nutritional yeast (not to be confused with Brewer’s yeast) lends a savory, full-bodied and dare say cheesy flavor when sprinkled on warm foods. It gravitates toward popcorn but it’s just at home sprinkled on pasta, rice, mashed potatoes or used to spike satisfying meatless gravy.

Photo by val’sphotos.

5. Did I Mention Vegetables?

Yeah, those. It’s surprising how many vegheads avoid the obvious. Veggies provide flavor, fiber, vitamins and even some protein! Old warhorses like broccoli become extraordinary when sautéed with olive oil, garlic and sprinkle of lemon.

Ban boiling altogether and embrace the wonders of roasting veggies instead (brushed with oil and herbs); string beans; carrots; Brussels sprouts and even cauliflower become mouthwatering. Don’t toss out that grill just because meat is off the menu: asparagus, eggplant, tomatoes and even pre-cooked potatoes love a good grilling.

6. Comfort & Convenience. Even Vegans Like That

There are days when the idea of cooking after an endless work day will make you cry. Vegan comfort foods, found in supermarkets or gourmet/natural markets everywhere, are here to stop those tears. Some favorites: “California” style veggie burgers made with whole grains, dairy-free ravioli, bean & veggie burritos, cheeseless pizzas, veggie rice bowls and pastas of all kinds.

Nothing in the ‘fridge except leftover rice or quinoa? A little oil, scallions and chopped veggies transform forgotten grain into great fried rice.

7. A Bowl of Fruit, Really

Fresh, seasonal fruit made readily available will make a difference in the quality of your snacking throughout the day. In the fall reach for local apples, pears and easy-to-peel Clementine oranges.

Summer brings boatloads of tender nectarines and plums. Bananas do their dance of deliciousness year-round. Keep your eyes peeled in the spring and early summer for those antioxidant-bursting berries like raspberries, strawberries and blueberries.

Photo by VeganWarrior.

8. Tofu, Tempeh, Seitan and You

Do not fear the soybean. Soy is an excellent, affordable and common source of high quality protein. The key is balance: alternate soy-based meals with those using beans or nuts. Tofu and tempeh (a tasty fermented soy food) are long-standing vegetarian favorites.

Seitan, made from wheat protein, is non-soy contender with a meat-like chewiness that’s dreamy grilled or pan-fried like a steak.

9. Come Fry with Me: Get the Gear

Still cooking with that burned non-stick pan from your college years? Do yourself a favor and splurge on a cast-iron skillet, a high-quality non-stick pan (not all are created equal!) and a lidded soup pot with a heavy base.

Quality utensils complete the picture; look for wooden and silicon long handled spoons, spatulas and tongs. And even if you never whip up a batch of vegan peanut butter oatmeal cookies with chocolate chips (and why not after eating all your vegetables?), good cookie sheets will prove essential for roasting and baking a variety of foods.

10. Hire a Guide

A guide could simply be a great cookbook (check your favorite online book purveyor for reader favorites) or spending time with your favorite vegan who loves to cook. The Internet is a virtual buffet of vegan recipes, so seek out blogs and websites that make your tummy rumble.

I’ve been baiting you with hearty vegan eats throughout this article, so if you’re hungry, ready to hit the kitchen and not sure where to start then it’s time to get yourself a guide!

Feature photo by Lst1984. Photo above by hey mr glen.

Taiji and qigong exercises have been used by people in Asia for over 4,000 years. If you have ever visited China and gone into one of the many parks in the morning, you have seen groups of people doing these exercises.

What is not so well known is that besides taiji (tai chi), many are practicing qigong.

A new book, Breath Energy Work: Exercises for the Mind & Body, provides the traveler (and non-traveler) an introduction to qigong (a combination of breathing and moving). It includes a collection of hand exercises that give you instant gratification, face and lower back massage, and a good assortment of stretches.

Photo by Lapsklaus.

There are many exercise programs, but what makes this program unique is that it can be done almost anywhere, anytime, without the need for special apparel, place or equipment. All you need is to spend a little time going over the text and practicing.

This is a short morning routine to help get you started. A routine should be modular, exercises strung together in a way that suits your needs. You can change the order I suggest, adding or subtracting as you see fit.

Belly Breathing

When I refer to breathing, I’ll always be referring to diaphragm breathing, using the diaphragm rather than the chest to draw breath in. To practice this type of breathing, lie down, place your hands on your abdomen just below the navel, and allow the hands to rise as you inhale, and return to the original position as you exhale.

With practice, you should be able to do this while standing or seated throughout the exercises.

Eventually, you will also notice a little expansion around the lower back on the inhale. Just be patient with this process, practicing the breathing only for short periods of time. With practice, breathing will help you to maintain a healthier pulmonary capacity throughout your life.

Photo by нσвσ.

When you get the chance, visit my website to learn the hand exercises I’ve put up as a short video. This introduction to hand massage will give you an excellent beginning to your routine.

Face Washing

Then, try one of the face washing techniques. Be sure your hands are clean first. Place both hands on your face and wipe down, then return the hands to the original position and wipe out. Repeat nine more times for a total of ten. This exercise is great for stimulating and refreshing the facial muscles.

Lower Back Massage

Reach around and give your lower back a massage. Start as high up as you can reach and rub down a few times. Then, using your thumbs, start high and knead your way down on both sides of the spine. Now, using your fists, tap up and down on the lower back, alternating the fists. Ask those muscles to relax and remind yourself often.

What other explanation could you give for running over 42 km in a single stunt? You can’t. Every runner in the history of time has had at least one race where he questions his sanity at the starting line.

For those who stay in the game, these are constant feelings. No matter how accustomed you grow to the mileage, no matter how much energy you seem to have down the road, it will always come back to you, standing cold and wet in the mud between two cheaply-constructed barriers surrounded by thousands of scantily-dressed muscle-clad runners.

We live for this.

If you’re thinking about joining the club, here are a few tips to get you started:

1. The Trial of Miles, Miles of Trials

…You don’t become a runner by winning a morning workout. The only true way is to marshal the ferocity of your ambition over the course of many days, weeks, months, and (if you could finally come to accept it) years. The Trial of Miles; Miles of Trials. How could he make them understand?

You are not going to just be running 26.2 miles or 42.195 kilometers. No, far more than that. For the months before, you are going to slowly increase your distance during long runs, your speed during interval workouts, and your muscle mass with weight training. 26.2, daunting as it may be to a beginner, has hundreds of miles that come before it.

Photo by darkmatter

2. Getting Started

Set a goal time. You can change it depending on how your training proceeds – you might even decide to settle for a half-marathon finish – but set a goal. Do you want to qualify for the Boston Marathon, or just finish so you can say “I DID IT!!”?

You might even decide to do a half marathon instead of a full, but either way, set a goal.

3. Avoiding Stress Fractures

You don’t have to take a nasty fall to break a bone. Stress fractures are caused by repeated loading on the bones and usually occur in the legs.

Think of your muscles as the shock absorbers on your car; without proper training, the shocks don’t function properly and the stress is forcibly absorbed by the only thing available – the bones.

As a result, it’s a very good idea to only increase your weekly mileage by 10%. Start out doing 10 miles/week? Next week you can do 11.

There are other considerations as well, from the surface you’re training on – concrete or trail running – to the support provided by footwear.

If you do want to try and reduce the stress on your legs, consider aquajogging: a way of running underwater that effectively exercises the legs without providing any impact forces. You should also try to avoid everything but the high-end treadmills, as many increase the stress on your legs and knees.

4. More than Leg Motion

Although it’s certainly possible to finish a marathon after months of straight running, it’s also a good idea to combine those miles with other cardio and anaerobic workouts:

• Swimming is great for building stamina and lung efficiency. It also brings you one step closer to training for a triathlon.
• Weight training is kind of necessary, in my humble opinion. Doing squats and intensive exercises will improve your leg muscle and overall performance.
• There are many schools of thought here: running and yoga, running and Tai Chi. See what feels right to you.

5. Set a Timeline

You can do the math yourself, depending on your starting weekly mileage (i.e. how long will it take you to get up to 20+ mile runs by adding 10% weekly?), but if you’re used to going a few miles and have a little racing experience, 4-5 months of training should be sufficient. Six months would be ideal.

Don’t fool yourself; training up to do that kind of distance is going to be a major time commitment. You’ll reach the point where you need two hours or more to do your daily run, and that doesn’t include time for weight training or everything else.

I nearly failed my fall semester at university because I was reaching the end of my training and topping 50+ miles/week.

Photo by CyboRoZ

6. Nutrition

Two simple rules:

• Avoid alcohol and caffeinated beverages.
• Hydrate.

Other than that, generic nutritional advice will do: be smart, eat fresh fruit, avoid fatty foods, and get some quality protein into your system. O

Once you start going 10+ miles/day, you can pretty much eat anything you want without consequence. Just like a pregnant woman supporting some strange cravings, you should listen to what your body is telling you to ingest.

7. The Long Run

There’s an ongoing debate among marathon runners: what should your longest run be before the race? 20-22 miles, or something more conservative?

For my first marathon, the 2005 Austin Freescale, my long run was up to 20 miles, and I had competed in a 30K six weeks prior to race day. I must admit, I wasn’t thrilled with the time it took my legs to fully recover from that three-hour run, but I did feel so much more prepared for the actual distance, knowing, if nothing else, I could finish 20/26ths of the race.

Before the 2006 Boston Marathon, I kept my long run down to 16 miles. Although I was confident I could finish, part of that was due to my prior marathon experience. I did manage to finish with a semi-decent time, 3:04:46, but my leg muscles were on fire after the race, and I attributed that to improper training: I should have pushed myself and just accepted a few days of recovery.

The bottom line? It’s different for each person. Ask trainers, listen to your body, and consider how much time you have to run.

8. Keeping Pace

Maintaining the pace you’re most comfortable with and keeping the time you want are difficult tasks, which is why training groups and stopwatches were invented.

During the race, depending on the size, there might be a few assigned pace leaders, their respective finish times pinned to their backs. Follow them if need be, or in the footsteps of your experienced friend who is known for keeping his pace consistent.

Photo by zhurnaly

9. During The Race

Hydrate and eat a protein-packed meal before your race. After that gun goes off and your brain turns to Swiss cheese when you think about the reality that you actually have to run this thing now, you can start to consider strategy.

Try to avoid the Poweraid or sugary drinks provided along the course; although you will have to stop and get some water eventually, energy drinks typically give you a large drain when running before any noticeable results surface.

The wall. The wall is the point at which your brain and your legs are screaming and clawing their way for you to stop performing such arduous tasks like moving one foot in front of the other. After the wall, the only thing propelling you is sheer determination.

We’re past logic and reason. The only thing left is force of will. “Chuck Norris wouldn’t stop,” a sign boasted before the 20-mile mark in Boston.

10. Pain

I’ve never really subscribed to the philosophy of “no pain, no gain” when it comes to distance running.

As long as you build up your distance properly, take the time to stretch before and after workouts, and do whatever is necessary when you need to cool down – massages, short runs, striders, stretching, walking in a circle – you should not have to go through the excruciating pain one might associate with running from Marathon to Athens.

community connection

If you want to do some more reading about marathon running, I recommend the following books:

Again to Carthage

Running the Seven Continents: Tales of Travel and the Marathon

The Marathon Monks of Mount Hiei

I also recommend:

Keeping Pace in Japan (my homepage, with information on running in Japan)

“How to Run a Marathon” Expert Village Videos

October 15 was the second annual National Ride to Work Day in Australia. The state of Victoria has been at it for 14 years, but the event has now gone nationwide. National Ride to Work Day is designed to promote awareness of this green and healthy alternative mode of transportation.

Last year 25% of registered riders on National Ride to Work Day were first-timers. Of those freshmen, 29% were still riding to work five months later.

More stats from last year’s event: 299,151 kilometers were diverted from cars to bikes and the atmosphere was spared an estimated 89.17 tons of greenhouse gases.

The numbers don’t lie: the program works.

Making the move

National Ride to Work Day was the perfect opportunity to make my move from train to bike; the last step in my transportation Green Revolution.

I’m no stranger to cycling. I don’t have a car, so if I’m not on a tram, you can find me pedaling down the street with a pannier full of fresh fruit or my tennis rackets slung over my shoulder.

I’ve always thought that biking to work would be a big headache. Lugging around a change of clothes, showering at work, and changing again to ride home didn’t appeal to me. How would I find it?

Photo by celesteh

A natural rush

I discovered I can cycle in the same time it takes to catch a train and amble into the office. And what a way to kick off the day. Who needs coffee? After a quick shower I felt refreshed and energized.

Bike routes and cycle lanes are examples of how cities can show they are serious in coaxing people out of their cars. Melbourne is great in terms of room for bikes on city roads.

But despite dedicated lanes and pathways, most locals will tell you it’s dangerous to ride a bicycle. Why is that?

Crash course in bike safety

When I lived in Vancouver I knew an avid cyclist. One day he kissed his wife and newborn son goodbye and said, “I’ll be back shortly”. Next thing he knew he was in the hospital.

Someone blindly opened a car door as he was cruising by. He caught the corner of the door with his chest, opening a gaping wound, and flew before breaking his wrist on impact with the road.

A couple k’s faster, a few inches to the right, and who knows how it would have ended. He was indeed a lucky man.

We don’t need no education

Apart from providing a strip of asphalt, more should be done to ensure that riders make it safely to and from the office. Driver (re)education and awareness are needed. Right now, biking in the city is akin to those cop training simulations in Police Academy films.

But instead of cardboard pop-ups, it’s a ton of metal on wheels. You’re rolling ahead cautiously and out of nowhere, BAM! a parked car’s door swings open, or ACK!, you’re almost sideswiped as a driver fails to shoulder check.

Photo by kirstykat

The fact is: many drivers don’t respect cyclists. They do things like speeding by and then cutting you off to make a turn. My personal favorite is when they pull out from behind and gun it past rather than passing cautiously. I can imagine their thoughts as they white-knuckle the steering wheel: “Please don’t hit him, please don’t hit him.”

In the same breath, I will also berate riders who don’t respect the rules of the road. Acting unpredictable, swerving between vehicles, and blocking traffic unnecessarily are behaviors that drive motorists mad. We all have a part to play in keeping the relationship amicable.

Who we can learn from

In countries like France, Spain, and Italy, cyclists are revered. In the French countryside, you can’t drive a few clicks without a road sign reminding drivers to give riders a wide berth.

Motoring through the Pyrenees you will encounter groups of cyclists. No one passes them unless it is absolutely safe. Cars line up like a slow road train and follow the pack, but patience rules here. There’s no honking or fist-shaking. Vehicles and bikes live in harmony.

It’s imperative that the culture in bike-unfriendly cities changes. No one should have to feel scared they’re going to meet their maker while they’re simply making a right turn.

Photo by rhurtubia

Well worth the effort

Despite the inherent danger of being on the road with cars, bicycling is a relatively safe activity. In the end it is up to you to be vigilant on the road.

Obey the rules, stay alert, be visible, and please…WEAR A HELMET.

From a financial perspective, it is also worthwhile. I save $1,456 per year in transit costs by riding my bike. If you pay for hot water, have the company foot the bill by showering at work. If you go to the gym solely for a cardio workout, cancel your membership.

It is a rewarding mode of transport. Your body will thank you. The earth will thank you. I’m sure even drivers will thank you; after all, they are one car closer to work in the traffic jam.

If the option is there for you, I say ride with it!

Community Connection

Looking for tips about biking while traveling? Check out Hal Amen’s 8 Steps for Self-Supported Bicycling Tours.